Temporary Good Bye
by Jenn11
Summary: Rewrite of the airport scene with Brooke and Julian... Then the story continues.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Temporary Good bye

Author: Jenn

Rating: K

Summary: A rewrite of the final scene at the airport with Brooke and Julian. Can they find a compromise?

The smile on Julian's lips, and the happiness and relief she saw in Julian's eyes, put the last of Brooke's doubts to rest. She was making the right choice. The choice to follow her heart.

"Where's Sam? Where are your bags?" Julian asked, the happiness leaving his eyes, replaced by doubt and uncertainty.

"I can't come with you. Not tonight at least," she quickly added. "Sam has two more months of school. I need time to take care of selling the house and the store. I can't come with you tonight. Will you give me two months? Just 'til Sam finishes the school year?"

The fear and uncertainty in Brooke's eyes softened Julian's heart. "I'll give you as much time as you need. It really wasn't fair to give you so little warning. Not when I expected you to turn you whole life upside down. And Sam's too."

The loud speaker announced his plane was boarding.

"I have to go," he said reluctantly.

"I know. Call me when you land?"

"It'll be really late, Brooke."

"I don't care. Please?"

"I'll call, you," he said against her lips before kissing her deeply.

He pulled out the tickets for her and Sam. "You can get these changed for whenever you need."

"Okay," she said, then leaned up to kiss him again.

Julian turned to leave, but Brooke took his hand, and he turned back to her. "I… I love you, Julian."

"I love you, Brooke," he said, giving her another quick kiss before walking onto the plane.

Brooke's declaration of love replayed in his mind on the long flight home. He also began thinking what contacts he could introduce Sam to since she was interested in the business. He decided he'd also start looking around to find a good school for her.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the announcement that they were landing soon. He shook his head slightly. He'd just spent a cross country flight dreaming of the woman he loved and planning a future for their family. He knew it should feel strange to think of them as a family so soon, but he did. Yes, he decided, Tree Hill really had changed him.

************

"Hello," Brooke said sleepily.

"Did I wake you?"

"Sort of. I think I dozed off. But before that I was thinking. Sam has Spring Break next week. We could come out to LA, if you want…"

"Of course I want you to come out and visit," Julian assured her.

"We'll need two rooms. You and I, and probably Sam, know I'm going to be spending the nights in your room. But if anyone from Child Services asks…"

"You want to be able to say you had your own room."

"Yeah. The last thing I want is for them to take her away from me because I'm an unfit mother or bad example."

Hearing the real concern in Brooke's voice Julian smiled. "You're a great mom, Brooke. No one is going to take her away from you. You wouldn't let them, and neither would Sam… Neither will I."

"Thank you, Julian."

"You're welcome. Let me know when you get the flight arranged and I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Okay," Brooke said, trying to stifle a yawn.

Julian heard it. "I'll let you get some sleep. But first, will you say it again?"

"Say what?" she teased, even though she knew what he wanted to hear.

"You know what."

"I love you, Julian."

"Good night, Brooke. I love you."

"'Night, Julian."

Both had smiles on their faces as they hung up their phones.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the kind reviews on the first chapter. Since I got a few requests to continue this story I'm making it a multi chapter fic. Obviously, it doesn't really follow the show. Bitchtoria isn't going to show up, but Sam's birth mom is going to. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Chapter 2

Julian smiled as Brooke and Sam walked off the plane.

"Hey, Julian."

"Sammy. Welcome to LA." He then turned his attention to Brooke and kissed her deeply. "Hi," he greeted once they were done kissing.

"Hi," she said back with a smile.

He leaned down to pick the dozen red roses up from the chair he'd set them on.

Brooke took them and smelled the sweet scent. "Thank you, Julian. They're beautiful."

"You're welcome. Let's get your stuff and head home," Julian suggested.

Brooke gave a soft smile. She liked how that sounded. Sam and her heading home with Julian. She was curious as to when his home would look like. Peyton had refused to give her details.

Sam stared out the window the whole ride, taking in what she could see of the city. A trip to the beach was definitely on the to-do list for the week. She knew Brooke had bought herself a new red bikini. Not that Brooke would admit it, but Sam was sure she'd bought it hoping Julian would like it. She felt sure Julian would.

The first thing Brooke noticed was that Julian's house had a great view. Inside was a spacious, open, floor plan. He showed them two guest rooms. Brooke's was closest to his room, with Sam's further down the hall.

"I don't know why you even bothered with a guest room. It's not like you'll be sleeping there," Sam commented to Brooke before disappearing into her room.

Looking around, Sam was pleased. The walls were a soft grey, rather than stark white. The bedding was black against a white carpet. The bed, chair and desk were a beautiful cherry wood.

"If you don't like anything we can change it," Julian noted from the door.

"No. I like it. But… thanks," Sam replied.

"I want you to like it here," Julian said, then left to look in on Brooke.

Her guest room had white walls with a few beautiful movie posters hung up. The bedding was a deep purple. A soft rug lay on the hardwood floor.

"What do you think?" Julian asked from the door.

"I love your house," she replied, turning and smiling at him.

He then showed her his room. The bedding was a deep royal blue. The furniture was all cheery wood. The rug was cream colored, as were the walls. A few pictures of different places hung on the walls.

"Nice pictures," she noted.

"Thanks. I took them myself at different locations from movies I've made," Julian admitted.

Brooke loved the huge walk in closet.

The kitchen had all the newest appliances and lots of counter room. Brooke quickly poured herself a cup of coffee, as did Sam.

"Like mother, like daughter," Julian teased.

"Hey, I liked coffee a long time before I met Brooke," Sam said, but she was secretly pleased by the comment.

"Good. Then that's one bad habit you can't blame me for," Brooke said with a grin.

After eating dinner they went out to enjoy Julian's hot tub and pool. When Brooke walked out in her bikini Julian felt his heart race and let out a low whistle.

"Thought you might like it," Brooke said, walking over and giving him a kiss, very pleased with his reaction.

Sam had always enjoyed swimming and spent most of her time in the pool, while Julian and Brooke relaxed in the hot tub. It was one of the best evenings Sam could remember. It felt like she was part of a family.

Brooke was thinking along the same lines. That night as she lay in Julian's arms she spoke softly. "I think I want to adopt Sam." She was almost afraid of what his reaction would be, but reminded herself he wasn't Owen. And if he was going to react badly, she needed to know now, rather than later.

"I think that's a great idea," he replied, kissing her bare shoulder.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"It won't change anything?"

"Of course it will change things. It's supposed to change things. It gives her a real family. That's exactly what she needs. And what you need, too."

Brooke loved that his first thought was for Sam, and her; but still… "I mean… with us. Will it change things with us?"

"No. Of course not." He felt a stab of pain that she thought it would, but remembering her experience with Owen he couldn't blame her for worrying. "I love you. And I really care about Sam. I want us to be a family. You adopting her just brings that one step closer. Don't worry. I'm not asking anything right now. It's too soon. For both of us… All three of us. Sam's going to have enough to deal with thinking about you adopting her. But in the future…"

"Yeah, in the future," Brooke agreed. The momentary panic that had swept though her receding.

Brooke snuggled closed to him and let herself drift to sleep.

The next day they spent the morning at the beach. Julian had to spend the afternoon working, so Sam and Brooke looked at houses with the Real Estate Agent Julian had set up for them. They looked at three houses, but none felt right.

"What about a store for you?" Sam asked as they drove home. Julian had taken a company car and left his silver Corvette for them.

"I don't know yet. I'll work something out," Brooke said.

They spent another quiet evening at home that night.

The next evening there was an 'Industry party' Julian had to attend. This meant he had to spend the whole day working. Brooke and Sam went shopping for dresses that morning, starting at Clothes Over Bros. Brooke had brought a couple nice dresses she'd designed and didn't need a new one.

"Try this one," Brooke suggested, handing a dress to Sam. The top tied behind the neck, and left her back bare. It was black, and made of satin.

"Fine, but I'm also trying on this one," Sam said, picking up another dress. This one was deep purple. It had spaghetti straps, a fitted top, and fuller skirt.

They ended up getting both dresses.

They looked at three more houses that afternoon. They liked one of the houses, but the area looked rougher than Brooke wanted Sam to be living in.

That night Brooke wore a strapless emerald green satin dress, and Sam wore the black one.

"Julian, who are these two lovely ladies?" Asked a middle aged man a few minutes after they'd arrived at the party.

"This is Brooke Davis, the designer of Clothes Over Bros, and her daughter Sam," Julain introduced.

"A pleasure. My daughters love your clothes, Miss Davis," the gentleman said, lifting Brooke's hand to kiss it, and then smiling at Sam. "Michael Conners."

"Michael can work magic at finding any prop or location you need for a movie. You wouldn't believe some of the things he's been able to get people for different movies," Julian told them.

The rest of the night passed in much the same fashion. Julian made sure to introduce Sam to the screen writers who were there. And Brooke got a few requests to design costumes for different movies.

"I think you may just have found a new career, Brooke," Sam teased as they drove home.

"What are you talking about?"

"I means as a costume designer for movies. You already had, what, three of four offers?"

"Four," Brooke said, then fell silent. Maybe Sam had a point. She certainly wasn't going back to work with Victoria, and as a costume designer she could still do what she loved. Being in the Industry would also allow her to work closely with Julian and be a part of his world. And since Sam also wanted to get into the Industry, it only made sense for Brooke to be part of it.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank for the reviews. The last chapter and this one are mostly me trying to set things up for when Brooke and Sam move to LA. Then the drama can start and Brooke and Julian can really continue their romance. Sam's mom shows up for a cameo, to cause a bit of angst, but no long term problems. Kind of helps Sam appreciate Brooke even more.

Chapter 3

The next morning Julian was working, while Brooke and Sam went to see another house. They both loved the home. It didn't have the view Julian's did, but it wasn't far away from his.

That evening Julian took them out to an exclusive restaurant, and smiled as they excitedly told him all about the house. He enjoyed seeing how happy they both were.

"I love the breakfast bar," Sam said. "Not to mention my room has a great view of the back yard."

"Which has a patio and hot tub. Plus a peach tree. I love fresh peaches," Brooke added. "The granite counter tops in the kitchen are great, and there's a lot of storage space."

"Not to mention that huge entertainment room. You're gonna love it, Julian. You've gotta help me talk Brooke into getting a big screen TV for it."

"We'll see about that TV. But you're going to love the house, Julian," Brooke told him, smiling. "And it's not too far from your home."

"I think a big screen TV sounds great," Julian agreed. He decided he would get one for them as a house warming gift to welcome them to LA. And he loved that they were thinking of whether or not he'd like the home.

"There's a den I'm going to use as a home office. The kitchen and bathroom have these great tile floors. The main rooms have these beautiful hard wood floors, so were going to need some rugs."

"At least the bedrooms have think carpet," Sam added. She hated stepping out of bed onto a cold floor.

Sam was wearing the purple dress she'd gotten the day before. Brooke had chosen a blue dress. Julian glared at a few men in the restaurant who stared to long at Brooke. He couldn't blame them, she looked amazing, but she was with him, so he had the right to glare at other men checking her out.

For her part Brooke noticed a woman at a nearby table looking at Julian. She leaned over and gave him a quick, but intense, kiss. She then looked back at the other woman who quickly looked away, having gotten Brooke's message. Sam just rolled her eyes at Brooke's action, having also seen the other woman looking at Julian. It wasn't like Brooke had anything to worry about, Sam thought. It was obvious she was the only woman Julian was interested in.

Brooke and Julian both hid smiles as the young waiter shamelessly flirted with Sam, making more visits to the table than he needed to. Sam enjoyed the attention, and flirted back. His blond hair looked like he spent plenty of time outdoors, and she decided she loved his hazel eyes. She also liked that he was fairly tall.

When Julian got his credit card back from the waiter he grinned and handed Sam a small paper the waiter had slipped him along with his card. "I think this is for you," he teased.

Opening the paper she saw that it was the name _**Wes**_and an LA phone number, and smiled.

Sam spent the next day with Julian, looking over some of the scripts he was considering. He was impressed with some of the comments she made. One script he'd planned to junk he decided was worth another read after her comments. He'd also arranged for them to have lunch with a screen writer.

"So you're the Sam Julian has been talking about since he got back to LA," greeted the screenwriter, Nicolas Anderson.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Sam replied, pleased to hear that Julian had been talking about her. If seemed proof that he really cared about her. That he wasn't ashamed of her, the way Brooke wasn't ashamed of her.

The lunch went well, and time passed quickly.

"So what did you think of your first Industry lunch meeting?" Julian asked as they left.

"He was really nice. I can't believe Nick offered to look over my first project and help me with it. Is this kind of thing normal?"

"You mean lunches and dinners where business is done? Yes. You have no ideas how many deals and decisions are made away from the offices and board rooms," he told her.

Brooke spent the day with the Real Estate Agent looking at offices. The first three weren't even close to what she wanted. She was starting to get frustrated when they arrived at the fourth one. It had an outer office where she could meet with clients, then a large back office where she could work. The location wasn't perfect, but wasn't bad. It had previously been the office of an archetect and already had drafting tables she could use to draw her designs. After the attack at her store in Tree Hill she liked that the office was in an office building with a security guard.

That evening the three were back out in the hot tub. "Is everything ok?" Sam asked, having noticed that Brooke seemed a bit distracted and tense.

"Everything is great, Sam. I just… have something I want to talk to you about. It's important. And the answer is totally up to you. I don't want you to give me the answer I think I want. I need, really need, you to tell me what you want."

Sam nodded, feeling herself tense up.

"When we get back to Tree Hill I want to talk to a lawyer… about adopting you. But only if it's what you want," Brooke quickly finished.

Sam's eyes widened as she realized what Brooke was saying. "You want to… adopt me?" She could hardly believe she'd heard right.

"Yeah. I want you to be my daughter. Not just my foster daughter, but my legal daughter. So no one can ever take you away from me. I don't ever want to lose you," Brooke told her.

"And I don't want to lose you," Sam admitted in a quiet voice. It was the closest she could come to saying she loved Brooke. "I… I'd like it if you'd adopt me. I'd like to be your real daughter, not just your foster daughter."

"Of course, it'll be up to you if you want to change your last name to Davis or not," Brooke added. She hoped Sam would, but didn't want to force the issue.

Sam thought back to the evening of the Industry party. When she'd come out of her room Brooke had commented that she looked like a Davis in that dress. She'd like the dress before that comment, but after that comment she'd loved it. And it had felt nice to be introduced as simply Brooke's daughter, rather than her step daughter, to the people at the party. "I want to be a Davis," Sam answered, smiling shyly.

Brooke moved across the hot tub to give Sam a hug, which she happily returned. Looking over Brooke's shoulder she saw Julian smiling at her.

That night Brooke spoke softly as she lay in Julian's arms. "She said yes. She wants to be my daughter."

"Of course she does. She loves you, and you're a great mother," Julian said. He had an arms resting around Brookes middle and gently pulled her a little closer.

"Thank you," Brooke whispered. "What did I do to deserve Sam? To deserve you?"

Julian gave a soft chuckle. "You have a good heart, Brooke. You're a good person. You deserve to be happy. To have people who love you. You're a great friend and always put other people first. I knew that even before I met you because Peyton told me that about you. You deserve a daughter, and a man who loves you. Now you have that."

"Yes, I do," Brooke agreed in a quiet voice. She kissed him gently on the cheek, and snuggled closer.

The next morning Brooke called Peyton.

"Hey, P Sawyer – soon to be P Scott."

"Hey, B Davis – soon to be B Baker," Peyton teased.

"Maybe one day, but not real soon" Brooke answered. After seeing her parents marriage she wasn't about to rush into it herself. "How are you? How's the baby?"

"We're both fine. How is LA?"

"I love it. And so does Sam. I think we'll be happy here," Brooke answered.

"I'm sure you will," Peyton said.

"I have some news about Sam. I'm going to adopt her. I asked last night and she said yes."

"Brooke! That incredible! I'm so happy for you!" Peyton said, excitement and joy coming through in her voice. "Lucas will be too when I tell him. So will Nate and Haley."

"Thank, Peyton."

"Mia's here. I gotta go do some work on the album with her."

"Talk to you later. Take care of yourself and that baby."

"I will. I promise. And we have Lucas taking care of us," Peyton reminded her.

Next Brooke called Haley. "Hi, Tutor Mom."

"Hi, California Girl."

"I have some amazing news. And I'm gonna need a favor. Probably a lot of favors…"

"What's going on, Brooke?" Haley asked, beginning to worry.

"I'm adopting Sam. She's already agreed. But that means I'm going to need to be calling you a lot for advice on how to be a mom," Brooke said.

"You're adopting Sam! That is amazing news. And you're a great mom. Besides, I've never been a mom to a teenager. In a few years I'll be the one calling you for advice," Haley said. As much as she sometimes hated to admit it Jamie was growing up fast and would be a teenager all too soon. "So other than that news, how is LA?"

"We found a house, and I have an office. We went to a great party a couple nights ago. There's another one tonight. I think this social life will be good for Sam. She won't let it go to her head, and I think it'll be good for her to relax, be a girl and enjoy some parties."

"I'm sure it will. How about a school?"

"Julian set it up for us to visit one tomorrow, even though it's Spring Break. And if Sam doesn't like it we still have time this summer to find a different one."

"Sounds good." Brooke heard Jamie in the background. "Jamie needs me. Talk to you later."

"Bye. Give him a hug for me."

"I will. Bye."

Sooner than any of them would have liked they were back at the airport so Brooke and Sam could return to Tree Hill.

"People always leave," Julian said, knowing Brooke would know the phrase.

"But sometimes they come back," Brooke said, giving a small smile. "And we will be back."

"I know. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," Brooke said. "I love you, Julian Baker."

"I love you too, Brooke Davis."

Sam was on the phone with Wes, telling him she'd IM him once they landed. They'd been on IM and talked on the phone every day since the night at the restaurant. It felt good to know she'd have someone close to her own age when she moved to LA. He was 18, two years older than her, but still close enough.

She ended the call and turned to see Brooke and Julian sharing a goodbye kiss. "Call me when you land," Julian said.

"I will," Brooke promised.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Hey, Sammy," Julian answered his phone, having checked the caller ID.

"Are you busy? Do you have time to talk?"

"I have some time," he assured her, putting down the script he'd been reading. He hadn't missed the stress in her tone. "What's going on?"

"I got a letter. It's from my mom. My…birth mom." Sam had been going to say 'real mom', but couldn't. Brooke had been more of a mother to her than the woman who'd given her birth and immediately given her up. If she had a 'real mom' it was Brooke.

"What does she want?"

"To see me."

"Okay. She want's to see you. What really matters is do you want to see her?" Julian asked.

"I don't know. Part of me does. Part of me doesn't," Sam explained.

"You haven't told Brooke yet, have you?"

"No," Sam admitted. "Not 'til I decide what I want to do. I mean, if I end up burning the letter there's no point freaking Brooke out. And you know she'd freak out."

"Yeah, she would," Julian admitted. "She'd be scared out of her mind that your birth mom would take you away from her since the adoption isn't final yet."

"Since we're moving out with you in a couple weeks I have to make a decision soon. But at least that means if things don't go well or I don't see her she won't be able to come find me. I'll be on the other side of the country."

"But if things do work out and you want to see her, she'll be on the other side of the country," Julian voiced Sam's unspoken thought.

"I know. What do I do?"

"Write me two scenes. A best case scenario – a happy ending. A worst case scenario – a tragedy. Consider it your first screen writing assignment," he teased, hoping to lighten her mood a little.

Sam decided that she liked the idea. "Ok. Then what?"

"You decide whether you want to risk the tragedy for a chance at the happy ending."

Sam relaxed a little. At least now she had a place to start, and someone she trusted to talk to.

"Sam, one more thing. I know you think telling Brooke will hurt her. But not telling her could hurt her too. Things like this have a way of coming out. It'll hurt her less to hear it from you… the sooner the better. I'm not saying you have to tell her, but I want you to consider it."

"No promises, but I'll think about it. If she really freaks out…"

"Call me and I'll come out there," Julian promised.

"Thanks. I think I hear her at the door. I gotta go. Bye."

"Bye, Sam. And, whatever happens… you'll be okay."

Julian picked up the script he'd been reading before Sam's call. Five minutes later he put it down, not having read one word. Admitting he wouldn't get any work done while he was worried about his family he picked up the phone and booked a cross country flight.

The next day Brooke looked up from packing when she heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it," she told Sam. Though, since Sam had her ipod playing in her ears she hadn't heard the door or Brooke's comment.

"Hey, Beautiful," Julian greeted her, the grin she loved so much on his face.

"Hey, Sexy," she returned, before fusing their lips in a kiss.

His arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight against him. She melted against the solid warmth of his body. They continued kissing until the need for air forced them to take a breath.

"So, I guess you're happy to see me?" Julian teased.

"Of course I am. But why are you here?"

"Just thought you might want some help packing."

"Movers are coming next week. They'll do all the heavy lifting," Brooke told him. "We'll just pack our clothes and stuff. Sam hasn't even really started, and I haven't done much. So why are you really here?" Her instincts told her there had to be more of a reason.

"I called him," Sam admitted, coming into the room. "I think he's here 'cause of what I told him." She paused and looked from Brooke to Julian. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah," he admitted.

"What's going on, Sam? Are you okay?"

The maternal concern in Brooke's voice, which she'd never heard from her own mother or any other foster mother, tugged at Sam's heart (not that she'd ever admit it) and helped her make her decision. "I think you'll wanna be sitting down."

Julian led Brooke to the couch and sat down with his arm around her. Sam sat facing them, and he gave her an encouraging smile.

"I got a letter from my birth mom. She wants to meet me. I didn't know what to do; and I didn't want you to worry or freak out, so I called Julian. He gave me a couple ideas of what to do to make up my mind if I wanna see her or not."

"And do you want to?"

"Yeah. I want to talk to her. Otherwise I'll always wonder what she would have said to me. And I'll be okay no matter what she says, cause I have you to come home to," Sam finished softly, looking down.

Brooke leaned forward and hugged her foster daughter. "Yes, you do. You'll have me to come home to. No matter what, I'll always love you, and you'll always have a home with me. You're my daughter."

A moment later the hug ended. "I'm gonna go hang out with Jack for a while. Give you two some time alone," Sam said with a knowing smile.

"Sam!" Brooke scolded, but the laughter and gratitude in her eyes told Sam Brooke wasn't actually upset.

A few minutes later Sam was gone and Brooke had gotten Julian a bottled water from the fridge. "It's been a month since we've seen each other. And, thanks to my wonderful daughter, we have the house to ourselves…" Brooke said, standing up and gently pulling on his hand as she gave an obvious glance back to her bedroom.

Julian stood and followed her down the hall.

"Actually, after that long flight I feel like a nice hot shower," he admitted, his tone inviting, letting her know he wasn't really thinking of a solo shower.

"We can start with that," Brooke agreed, kicking off her shoes since they were now in her bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for all the kind reviews. Especially Angel4NEPatriots.

Chapter 5

That night Brooke was snuggled against Julian and shifted slightly to kiss his neck. "Thank you for coming. It was a lot easier hearing Sam's news with you here. And I'm glad she felt like she could call you when she needed someone besides me to talk to."

Julian kissed her forehead. "So am I. And I'm really happy to be here with you. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

A few minutes later they'd both fallen deeply asleep.

The next evening when Sam got home she found Brooke in the kitchen, cooking dinner, with Julian sitting at the counter. "Perfect timing," Brooke commented, smiling. "Dinner will be ready in about 10 minutes."

Dinner was comfortable and relaxed. A family dinner, Brooke thought. The kind she'd rarely experienced, and wanted Sam to experience often. As they ate ice cream for dessert Brooke looked at Sam. "The lawyer called this afternoon. The adoption papers are ready. It'll just take our going to the court house to meet the Judge and sign them. We can do it tomorrow, or we could wait until after you meet with your birth mom," Brooke offered.

"I wanna do it tomorrow," Sam quickly answered. "When I meet her I wanna be able to tell her that I'm not in foster care. That I have a mom who loves me and wants me. Who adopted me."

Julian and Brooke shared a look. They'd both heard the pain in Sam's tone. The hurt her birth mother's abandonment caused her even 16 years later.

"Sam, she may have wanted to keep you, but not had a choice," Brooke said, hoping to comfort Sam.

"If I'd been your daughter, when I was born, would you have given me up? For any reason?" Sam asked, she felt sure she knew the answer, but a part of her needed to hear it from Brooke.

"No," Brooke admitted. "I'd never have been able to give my baby up. No matter what."

"And that's why you don't need to worry about me meeting her. You're my mom. My real mom. She's my birth mom, and I want to talk to her. Ask her questions. Then I want to come home. This is the only home I've ever had," Sam admitted in a quiet voice.

Brooke stepped forward and ran her hand comfortingly up and down Sam's arm. "I know. I wish I could have found you sooner. I really do. I'll pick you up tomorrow after school so we can go to the courthouse."

"I don't know why I even have to go to school. It's the last week. Nothing's getting done."

"It's still school Sam. You're going," Brooke told her.

The next day they were in the courtroom, talking to the Judge. Julian sat in the back of the room watching. "So, Samantha. You have no problems with Ms. Davis adopting you?"

"No. I want this adoption," Sam quickly answered.

"I understand that at one point you ran away?"

"That was a… misunderstanding. It'll never happen again," she promised.

"And I see you want this adoption to include officially changing your last name to Davis. Is that correct?"

"Yes, your Honor."

"Ms. Davis. You're planning a move to LA in the near future?"

"Yes, your Honor. We've already visited a school and will have Sam enrolled for next year. We also have a home already purchased."

"Very well. Looking over the records I can see you're able to financially support Samantha. The report from Child Services is also favorable. Since she has no objections I'm approving this adoption."

"Thank you, your Honor," Brooke said, smiling a1000 watt smile.

The Judge smiled indulgently as Brooke and Sam hugged. Julian walked forward and also hugged them. The Judge singed the papers in front of him.

"This is real, right? I'm not just dreaming this? Sam asked, a bit of uncertainty in her voice. She finally had a Mom who loved her, and if she wasn't mistaken Julian would soon be joining their family, so she'd have a Dad as well. And they were moving to LA where she'd have a chance at the career she wanted. Not to mention a really cute, nice, guy waiting for her. It was everything she'd ever dreamed, and seemed almost too good to be real.

"It's real, Samson. It's real," Julian assured her.

"But I know what you mean. It does feel almost like a dream, doesn't it?" Brooke noted, smiling at her daughter.

A short time later they had their copies of the adoption decree and left the building. They'd agreed to meet the others at Tric to celebrate.

Haley and Mia had made a huge sign that said "Welcome, Samantha Davis".

"Congratulations, Sam!" Haley greeted, giving Sam a hug.

"Hey, you deserve some of the credit for this. You're the one who suggested I be her foster mother," Brooke said, giving Haley a hug. "Thank you."

"It was one of my better ideas," Haley agreed, smiling happily.

"I'm happy for both of you," Nathan said.

"Me too!" Jamie agreed, hugging Sam and then Brooke.

"Hey!" Peyton greeted.

"P. Sawyer, aren't you supposed to be resting?" Brooke asked, even as she hugged her best friend.

"Luke let me out for a couple hours. No way I'd miss this," she replied before hugging Sam.

"I'm glad you're here. Since you and Brooke are like sisters, does that make me your baby's cousin?" Sam asked.

"I think it does," Peyton answered, smiling.

"I'm really happy for you, Brooke," Lucas said, hugging her.

"Thanks, Luke," she said.

Mia and Sam hugged, as did Brooke and Chase.

"I'm glad you've finally found what you were looking for," Chase said quietly.

"Thanks. I'm glad you have too," Brooke replied, glancing at Mia.

Millie and Mouth also joined the group, congratulating Sam and hugging Brooke.

"I kind-of forgot what a big family I'm joining," Sam commented to Brooke during one of the few quiet moments of the evening.

Brooke laughed. "Yeah. I forget it too sometimes." Sam was right, these weren't just her friends, they were her family. Certainly not a traditional family, but still a family. A family that now included Sam and Julian.

"What are you smiling about?" Julian asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.

Brooke let herself relax back against him, enjoying the feel of him holding her, before she answered. "Who'd have thought an only child would have such a big family?"

Julian chuckled. "Yeah. You're going to miss them." He made it a statement rather than a question.

"I am…" She paused and pushed away the sudden sadness. As much as she'd missed them, she loved Julian and looked forward to making a life with him and Sam in LA. Turning in his arms she gave him her most charming smile. "I guess that means you're just going to have to keep me entertained in LA…"

"I think I can do that," he replied, giving her the grin she loved so much.

"And you know we'll be making a lot of trips back here…"

"Of course," he agreed.

"You really are the best boyfriend," Brooke said before kissing him.

Off to the side Sam texted Wes.

The adoption is official! 

His reply cam a moment later.

Congrats! Can't wait 2 C U 

Me 2.

She closed the phone as Jack came over to see her.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for all the kind reviews. Especially Angel4NEPatriots. I put another family dinner in just for you

Chapter 6

Two days later Brooke and Julian were sitting in her front room, waiting for Sam to return. Brooke rested against Julian, with his arms around her. "Thank you for being here, Julian. I'd be going crazy without you here right now. What if she likes her birth mom better than me?"

"Brooke, this is Sam we're taking about. She loves you. When she called me she was really worried about if this would hurt you. Worried that she'd hurt her mom. And she told you herself that she just wants to ask her birth mom some questions, then come home to you. Trust her. Trust yourself."

"Okay," Brooke said, feeling reassured. "Sorry I'm freaking out."

"Hey, I think that's part of the job description for a mom," Julian teased. "Dads get the fun jobs. Chasing away boys that aren't good enough. And, of course, no father ever thinks any guy is good enough for his daughter."

"Despite, or maybe because of, your history with your father… You'll make a great dad. You won't make the same mistakes he did."

Julian smiled, glad she was thinking of him in the 'father' role. He wanted to be a father to Sam. "Thanks," he said, kissing her cheek.

Brooke smiled as well. Unlike Owen, Julian didn't run away at the word 'father'. He'd make a great father figure for Sam, and maybe one day, if things worked out, a great adoptive father for her. Something told her that if they ever married he'd want to officially adopt Sam. The thought warmed her heart, and made her love Julian even more.

Just then the door opened and Sam walked in. She flopped down on a chair facing them. "Her parents pressured her into giving me up. Now she has kids of her own, and wanted to make sure that I was okay. I think it's mostly guilt. I'm not going to be her guilt trip or accept her pity," Sam said, her voice a bit disgusted.

"No, you don't need anyone's pity," Brooke said, giving Sam a warm maternal smile. "Pity is for weak people, and Davis women are not weak. And guilt isn't love."

Sam smiled at being called a Davis. "Not to ruin the moment, but I'm starving… And in the mood for a family dinner," Sam said. She hoped that by casually including Julian in 'family' events Brooke would get used to the idea and hopefully speed up the process of making the three of them a family.

From what Peyton had told her about Brooke's parents she understood why Brooke would not want to rush into a marriage, but she also thought Julian was just what Brooke needed.

"A family dinner sounds perfect," Julian told her with a grin.

Unable to resist that grin Brooke leaned in and gave him a quick kiss. "Yes, it does," Brooke agreed. "How about we order in pizza?"

Sam's wide smile was all the answer she needed. They all enjoyed dinner, and spent most of it talking about their plans for LA. Sam knew she'd miss Jack, but was really looking forward to seeing Wes again. Brooke told Julian about her conversations with the directors who wanted her to design costumes for their movies, and that she'd already started drawing some designs. Sam make her usual sarcastic comments, which reassured both Brooke and Julian that she really was okay after talking to her birth mother. As they cleaned up the table Brooke mentally counted off another successful family dinner.

The next day Julian had to fly back to LA. Once again he and Brooke found themselves at the airport. This time Sam was with them.

"I'll see ya, soon, Julian."

"Yes, you will. Take care, Sam."

"You to."

She gave him a hug, which he happily returned, then she moved off so he and Brooke could say their good byes.

"I hate good byes," Brooke said, as she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled close. "Even temporary ones."

"I know. But we have to get used to it. Even once you're in LA I'll have to leave for movie locations," he reminded her.

"Just promise me you'll always come home," she requested.

"I promise, Brooke. Sometimes I'll leave you, but I'll always come back to you. Always."

They stood silently holding each other for a few minutes. Then Brooke leaned back in his arms so she could make eye contact. "I love you, Julian Baker."

"I love you, Brooke Davis."

Their lips fused in a deep, passionate kiss.

"I'll see you next week, Boyfriend."

"See you next week, Beautiful."

They shared another quick, but intense, kiss before Julian had to get on the plane.

The night before they were leaving Brooke was over at Lucas and Peyton's.

"I'll be back for the wedding. And for when the baby is born," Brooke promised.

"Yeah. I'm going to miss you, though."

"And I'll miss you. I'll miss Tree Hill," Brooke admitted.

"But you'll also love LA… And being with Julian."

A soft smile curved Brooke's lips at the mention of Julian.

"Yeah. I really love him, Peyton."

"I know. And I'm glad. You both deserve to be in love, and have that person love you."

"Thanks," Brooke said as they hugged.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Again, thanks for the kind reviews. Angell4NEPatriots, you are good! Yes, something bad happens. But don't worry, in the end it just speeds things up with our favorite couple. But there have to be a few bumps in the road… 

Chapter 7

They'd been in LA for two weeks when Brooke got the call.

"Brooke Davis?"

"Yes."

"I'm Jonathan Lewis, Julian's father. There's been an accident. He's in the hospital."

"Is he okay?" Brooke managed to ask as she sank to the floor of her office.

"He's in the Operating Room now. I don't' have details. Just that he's alive."

"What hospital?" Brooke asked as she pushed herself to her feet. She quickly grabbed a pen and wrote the name and address he gave her. "I'll be there soon."

Before leaving she called Sam's cell phone. Sam had gone to the beach with Wes and some other friends.

"Hi, Mom," Sam said. She still loved being able to call Brooke that.

At any other time Brooke would have smiled to hear Sam call her that, as was common now. "Julian's in the hospital. There was an accident."

"Wes, I need you to drive me to the hospital," Sam said.

"Of course." Brooke heard him say in the background. "Which one?"

Brooke quickly gave the details.

"He's going to be okay, right?" Sam asked, needing reassurance from her mother.

"Of course he is. He's strong. He's a fighter. He'll be okay," Brooke said, trying to convince herself as much as Sam.

"I'll see you there," Sam said before hanging up.

Grabbing her purse Brooke left the office. She was glad that driving forced her to concentrate on the road, rather than worry about what she'd find at the hospital.

"Brooke?"

"Yes."

"I'm Jonathan Lewis."

"Hi. How is he?"

"They believe he has a concussion, but aren't sure how bad. They also think there might be cracked ribs or other broken bones. They're doing x rays and a MRI right now. Lots of bruises and minor cuts. The biggest concern is he's still unconscious."

"How did you know to call me?" Brooke asked, as a way to buy herself time to process what she'd just been told.

"Julian's mentioned you. And your number is in his phone."

Brooke nodded. "I need to call Peyton."

A few minutes later she ended the call with Peyton.

"Mom!"

Looking up she saw Sam hurrying towards her. She opened her arms and seconds later was hugging Sam. A long moment later Sam stepped back.

"Sam, this is Julian's father."

"Jonathan Lewis," he said, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Sam. This is Wes."

The two men shook hands, then Wes turned to Brooke. "I'm really sorry about Julian, Ms. Davis."

"I've told you to call me Brooke," she returned. "But, thank you. Right now they're still trying to find out what's wrong," she said, then gave them the details she'd gotten.

A few minutes later they were all sitting, waiting for the doctor. Sam sat next to her mom, with Brooke's arm around her. On her other side, Wes held her hand.

Jonathan was on the phone with his assistant, telling her to rearrange his schedule so he could stay at the hospital.

"Anyone want coffee?" Wes asked.

Brooke and Sam both nodded, and Brooke handed Wes a $20. "Be right back," he said.

"He's a good guy," Brooke said.

"Yeah, he is," Sam agreed, giving a slight smile. "Like Dad. You don't think Julian would mind me calling him Dad, do you? I've thought of him that way for a little while now."

"I don't think he'd mind at all. He really loves you. Loves us both," Brooke replied in a soft voice. "We're a family."

"Yeah, we are," Sam agreed.

Both fell into silence, lost in their thoughts. A few minutes later Wes returned.

"Thanks, Wes," Brooke said, taking the coffee cup he handed her.

The doctor came into the waiting room. "Family of Julian Baker?"

Jonathan quickly ended his call as Brooke and Sam moved to stand by the doctor. "I'm doctor Richards. Mr. Baker has five badly bruised ribs, but they don't appear to be cracked. He has a minor concussion. His left wrist is sprained. There are a lot of minor cuts and bruises. He should be fine. He'll be in his room in about an hour. But I have to warn you, he hasn't regained consciousness yet, and that isn't a good sign. We're going to keep him in ICU until he wakes up, just as a precaution."

"Thank you," Brooke said.

"Yes. Thank you, doctor. There won't be any problem with Ms. Davis or her daughter to see him, will it? Even though they aren't family-"

"We are his family," Sam cut in, glaring at Jonathan.

"-yet," Jonathan finished.

"They can go in. And I'd suggest talking to him. There's nothing we can prove medically, but many of us believe unconscious patients can hear those around them. It might help him wake up, and the sooner he wakes up the better."

Once the doctor was gone, Brooke looked over at Jonathan. "Thank you. I know you could have kept us away from him."

"My son would never forgive me if I did that. He's told me he loves you… and you," he added, looking over at Sam.

"I've gotta go get ready for work," Wes told Sam.

"Okay. Thanks for driving me here and for staying," she said.

He kissed her cheek and left.

They spent a couple hours alternating between quiet conversation and tense, but surprisingly comfortable, silence. The tension was all from their shared worry over Julian. Brooke insisted Sam go to the cafeteria and get some food. Sam brought Brooke some fruit, and made sure she ate it. Brooke had to force the food down, since she didn't feel like eating.

Jonathan eventually spoke up. "I'm going to stay for a while, if you want to go home… Maybe shower and get into more comfortable clothes? I'm guessing convincing you to actually stay home and get some sleep is out of the question?"

"It is," Brooke agreed. She didn't want to leave Julian. But Jonathan had a point. The high heels and dress she was wearing weren't comfortable. And Sam was still in her beach clothes. A quick trip home was probably a good idea. "Okay. We'll be back soon. Thanks."

Before leaving Brooke leaned over and kissed Julian's cheek. "You promised me you'd always come back to me. I really need you to keep that promise come. Back to me. Much I want to be here when you open those gorgeous eyes of yours, it'd be really great if you were awake when we got back. Just… come back. I love you. I… I need you."

"So do I," said Sam in a soft voice.

Wiping a few tears away Brooke led Sam from the room.

"I really liked Peyton. But I'm liking Brooke a lot. And Sam. I can see why you fell for them. You need to come back to them. And back to me. I need another chance… a chance to do things right this time. To make up for my mistakes." Jonathon had always imagined he'd have time to make things right with his son. Having to face the reality that he might not terrified him.


	8. Chapter 8

Again, thanks for the wonderful reviews. Hope you all like this chapter. As you'll see, Julian is okay. He's just going to need Brooke to nurse him back to health ;-)

Chapter 8

"Has there been any change?" Brooke asked as she walked back into the room, with Sam beside her.

"Unfortunately, no," Jonathon told her.

"Okay, Lazy Bones. We're back, so it's time to wake up," Sam said as she moved to stand by the bed.

"Peyton called while we were home. It's pretty late back east, but she couldn't sleep. She was worried about you. You know stress isn't good for her right now. You need to wake up so that when she calls in the morning. I can tell her you're awake," Brooke said before leaning down to place a light kiss on his lips. Feeling they were dry she got some water and gently brushed a wet finger over his lips.

A moment later a nurse came in. "We have a patient in much more serious condition coming up from surgery. We're moving Mr. Baker from ICU to an Intermediate Level room. But don't worry, we'll keep a close eye on him."

A short time later they were in the new room. A couple hours later Jonathon told them good bye and went home to get some sleep; joking that he could no longer pull all-nighters like he had in this youth. Brooke promised to call if there was any change.

A short time later Brooke had a nurse bring in a cot for Sam to sleep on.

"Mom, I'm fine. I'll stay up with you."

"Sam, you've had a stressful day, and were up late last night. You need your sleep. You want to be awake and alert for Julian tomorrow, don't you? I'll wake you up if he wakes up. Just humor me and lie down. I'm too tired to argue right now."

Not wanting to upset Brooke further, Sam lay down and closed her eyes. Soon the stress of the day took its toll and she fell asleep.

Once she was sure Sam was asleep Brooke sat on the edge of Julian's bed and quietly spoke to him. She hoped the doctor was right that Julian would be able to hear her. That maybe her voice would help him wake up. Would help bring him back to her.

"This isn't fair. We've been so happy lately. Both of us were finally able to let go of our pasts and move on… together. We opened up our hearts enough to love each other. I can't lose you now. I survived losing Lucas. I… I don't know if I'd survive losing you. And besides, I know you'd never break a promise to me… And you promised you'd always come back to me.

Now, I get it if you're hurting and need a little more time to heal. It's late, and time to sleep. I get that. But you'd better wake up tomorrow, Julian Baker. I don't know what I'll do if you don't. I don't know what Sam will do. She called you Dad earlier. Told me she's thought of you as her dad for a little while. And you told me you wanted us to be a family. Well, we can be… as soon as you wake up.

I know we said we wanted to give ourselves time and not rush things, but… now… The idea of losing you without ever having been your wife… I don't want that. I want to be your wife. And I know Sam wants you to be her dad.

And your dad wants to fix your relationship. He wants to make things right with you. But he can't do that if you don't wake up."

Brooke eventually dozed lightly in the recliner, waking frequently to check on Julian. The nurses also looked in often to check on his condition.

"He isn't in pain, is he?" Brooke asked at one point.

"No. He's on morphine. He isn't hurting," the nurse assured her, with an understanding smile.

Early the next morning Sam shot up in bed, and looked around. The shock on her face faded to sadness. "I was hoping it was just a nightmare."

"I know," Brooke said, standing up and stretching. She moved to sit on the cot by Sam and hugged her daughter.

They sat in silence for a few minutes until her phone rang. "Hello, Peyt," Brooke said, having checked the Caller ID.

"Any change?"

"No."

"How are you holding up?" Peyton asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm… going to be okay. How are you? How's the baby?"

"I have another doctor's appointment this morning. I'll call you after."

"Ok," Brooke said and hung up.

Sam saw Brooke's sketch book lying open on the table and wanted to see what she'd been working on.

The figure was obviously Brooke, and the dress… Sam breath caught in her throat. The dress was obviously a wedding dress. The overall impression was one of simple elegance and understated allure. "This is beautiful, Mom. Julian will love it."

"Thanks, Hon. I hope so. And I'll design you a special dress too, of course," she promised, then moved to look out the window at the rising sun.

Sam set the sketch book down and moved to stand by the bed.

"Mom!"

Brooke turned around to see that Julian's eyes were fluttering open, and his hand moved a little. She hurried to the bed and took his hand in hers. "Julian? Hon, don't try to move. Just open those beautiful eyes of yours for me."

As Julian's eyes opened the blurs of light and color resolved into Brooke's face. "Brooke?" His voice came out as a raspy whisper.

"Yeah. I'm here. So's Sam."

As his eyes adjusted Julian saw Sam standing by Brooke.

"Welcome back. You scared us," Brooke said, bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it.

"Water.." Julian requested. His throat was burning with thirst.

Sam got a cup of water with a straw while Brooke used the controls to a raise the top half of the bed so that Julian was in a sitting position.

Julian took a couple sips of water that seemed like the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted.

"What happened?" The last thing he remembered was driving back to his office from a meeting. Every breath was painful, and he ached all over. Especially his ribs and left wrist.

"You were in a car accident yesterday. You've been out since yesterday afternoon. You have a concussion, some badly bruised ribs, a sprained wrist, and a bunch of minor bruises and cuts," Brooke told him, repeating what the doctor had told her.

Just then Jonathon came in, carrying a coffee holder with three cups and bag of muffins. He almost dropped them when he saw that Julian was awake. Sam stepped over and took them, setting them down on the table.

"Dad?" Julian asked, totally shocked to see his father.

"Yes. How are you? Are you hurting?"

"Only hurts when I breathe… But I'm okay. It feels… distant. Like I don't care about the pain."

"Morphine will do that," said the nurse as she came in. "Mr. Baker, it's good to see you awake," she said. She quickly copied down his vital stats and asked a few basic questions. "I'll go get your doctor and be back in a few minutes," she said before leaving.

"Shouldn't you be at work, Dad? My family is here if I need anything," Julian said. The morphine had lowered his usual emotional control and the bitterness came out in his voice.

Brooke and Sam both smiled at hearing him call them his family.

"I deserve that," Jonathon admitted, sadness and regret in his eyes and voice. "But I would really like another chance, Son. I always thought I'd have time to make things right with you. Yesterday made me realize I can't wait."

"Julian, he was here all afternoon and evening yesterday. He made sure the doctors let Sam and I into the ICU, when it's usually only family members allowed. He's worried about you," Brooke told him in a gentle voice. She wouldn't try to interfere with Julian's decision regarding his father, but she wanted to at least make sure he had all the facts before he made that decision.

"Fine. Stay if you want to," Julian said.

Brooke was pleased to hear that his voice sounded stronger every time he spoke.

"More water?" Sam offered.

"Yeah. Thanks," Julian said, managing a small smile.

"What happened to the other driver? Or was there another driver?" Julian asked after he had a few more sips of water.

"The police said it was a drunk driver. He wasn't badly hurt when he hit you," Jonathon answered.

Brooke felt a twinge of guilt. She'd been so concerned for Julian she'd never even thought about the other driver.

"My car?"

"It was totaled. The insurance claim is being taken care of by my people," Jonathon answered.

Brooke scowled. "Julian Baker! You're in the hospital, barely woke up, and you're worried about your damn car?!"

"It's a great car," Julian defended himself.

"Men! I'm calling Peyton to let her know you're awake. She was worried about you," Brooke said. She kissed Julian's cheek then picked up her cell phone.

"Mom's not mad at you. She was just really scared," Sam said softly to Julian. "So was I," Sam admitted.

"Sorry I scared you," Julian told her.

"You're awake. That's all that matters," she answered.

The doctor entered, and asked them all to leave the room while he talked with Julian. Sam grabbed the coffee holder, and Brooke picked up the bad of muffins as they left the room.


	9. Chapter 9

As always, thanks for the reviews. Hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 9

Jonathon, Brooke and Sam walked to the nearby waiting room. "Thanks for breakfast," Brooke said a few minutes later as she sipped her coffee.

"You're welcome. It seemed the least I could do after you spending the night watching over my son."

"I love him," Brooke answered.

"So do I," Sam agreed, before taking a bite of chocolate-chocolate chip muffin. Jonathon ate the blueberry muffin, while Brooke had taken the banana-nut muffin. "How did you know to get a double chocolate muffin?" Sam asked a minute later.

"Mt late wife loved chocolate, as does most every other woman I've ever met. It seemed a safe bet that at least one of you would."

Sam smirked at her mom. "Mom loves chocolate, she's just doesn't ever eat it for breakfast."

"Early in the morning I'm not awake enough to really enjoy it," Brooke replied. "Chocolate needs to be savored."

"Or just devoured," Sam said, before taking a bite of her muffin.

Brooke smiled indulgently and took a bite of her muffin.

A few minutes later the doctor came out.

"How is he?" "Is he okay?" "How's my son?" All three asked at once.

"He's better than I was afraid he might be. He only seems to have lost a few minutes of memory from before the accident. I want to do a few more tests now that he's awake, but he may be able to go home tomorrow morning. I'd normally say today, but considering how long he was unconscious I want to keep him here for one more night, just to observe and make sure there aren't any complications. But with his head injury I'll only release him as long as he won't be alone."

"Sam and I will be staying with him for as long as we need to. We'll make sure he's taken care of. I can do my work at home, so I won't have to leave."

The doctor nodded. "That sounds fine. I'll talk to you and give you a list of symptoms to watch out for before you leave."

A few minutes later they were back in the room, and the nurse entered. "Would you like something to eat, Mr. Baker?"

"It's Julian. And maybe just some orange juice. My stomach is not feeling great."

"That's normal with a head injury and morphine. I'll be right back."

"I brought you a peach-coconut muffin from Oasis café. They used to be your favorite,'" Jonathon said.

Julian's eyes widened. He was shocked, and touched, that his father remembered that detail. "Still are. That sounds good… Thank you, Dad."

Sam quickly pulled the muffin out of the bag, and moved the mobile table over close to him, so he could reach it.

While Julian was out of the room for his tests, or sleeping, Brooke began work on the sketch for Sam's dress.

"What color do you want your dress to be?"

"Green," Sam answered, looking up from her laptop, and the IM conversation she was having with Wes. She also had a separate IM conversation going with Haley, who was enjoying her summer off school, home with Jamie.

Brooke nodded, and continued working.

That evening Brooke left to get them some dinner. She hadn't wanted to leave, but Julian had convinced her by saying he really wanted some normal food, rather than hospital food.

Jonathon had also left, so Sam was alone with Julian. She picked up the sketch book Brooke had left by the chair. "Something I think you'll want to see," she told Julian as she flipped it to the page she was looking for.

"I'd definitely like to see that," Julian agreed after staring at it for several seconds. The dress was beautiful, as he'd expect of Brooke's design talent, but he knew the dress wouldn't matter. All he cared about was her being his wife, not the dress she wore. But knowing she'd be happiest in that amazing dress she'd designed he wanted her to have the dress.

"All you have to do is ask her," Sam said. "She wouldn't be drawing this is she had any thought of saying no. And I think she designed it so she could look beautiful for you… Of course, you'll have to wait 'til you get better. I just thought you should know."

"Thanks, Sammy."

Sam flipped over the page. "This will be my dress," she said, smiling.

"You'll look stunning… Which means your mom and I will both be keeping an eye on the boys hanging around you. Especially Wes," he warned her.

Sam smiled. She loved how that sounded just like something a father would say. "I thought you liked Wes?"

"I do. I'll still be keeping an eye on him."

Sam made a face at him, which only made Julian smile.

Brooke returned a short time later and they talked as they ate. They all enjoyed the family dinner, even if it had to be in the hospital.

"I can't wait to have a real family dinner at home tomorrow night," Julian commented.

"Me neither," Sam agreed.

"That will be really nice," Brooke added, leaning over to kiss Julian's cheek.

Not long after they finished dinner Jonathon returned.

"Sweetheart, why don't we go and let these two guys talk," Brooke suggested.

"Yeah," Sam agreed, quickly standing up.

"You two are abandoning me?" Julian asked, his tone half teasing / half serious.

"We're letting you have some time with your father," Brooke corrected, giving him a quick kiss before following Sam from the room.

Seeing Julian's doctor at the nurses station the walked over and got the instructions from him for Julian's care once they returned home.

Almost and hour later Jonathon came out of the room.

"How'd it go?" Brooke asked.

"Better than I expected. We still have a long way to go, but I think this was a good start," Jonathon told her. "Thank you."

"I want him to be happy. And he'll be happier if he has a real relationship with you," she answered.

Sam and Brooke both hid their smiles when Julian's answer matched his father's almost word for word. Sam took the recliner and Brooke lay down by Julian on the bed as they watched TV, eventually all falling asleep.

"That is one nice family," one of the nurses said to another, after looking into the room.

"Yes. But I wonder why she doesn't have a ring on her finger," commented the other.

"Just a matter of time. And my bet is sooner rather than later," replied the fist nurse.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thanks all for the kind reviews. othlvr16, yes, a proposal is coming… as soon as Julian is well. Koumi11, a Brulian baby will happen, just not for a little while. Gotta have the wedding first…

Chapter 10

The next week passed slowly for Julian. He was frustrated at how few things he could do without causing massive amounts of pain in his bruised ribs. But he did enjoy being home and having so much time with Brooke and Sam. He'd also had some long conversations with his father, and their relationship was better than it had been since he was a young boy. Almost as if his thoughts had summoned him, Jonathon walked in.

"How are you feeling today?"

"Better. Just wish it didn't take so long for these damn ribs to heal," Julian said in frustration.

"I brought you a new script to read," Jonathan said, setting the script on the table.

"Thanks."

"Hi," Brooke greeted as she walked in. She moved to sit on the arm of the recliner Julian was in.

"How are the designs coming?" Jonathon asked.

"Good. I'll have them done in time. I don't want to mess up my first big costume design job."

"Hey, your first costume design project was my movie, and you didn't mess it up. You did great," Julian reminded her.

"Yeah, but I didn't have to do much designing with those. I remembered the clothes we'd worn. It was just recreating them. And you would have forgiven me even if I'd messed up," Brooke said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

Knowing it was true Julian stayed quiet. He'd forgive Brooke anything. He reached out and took her hand.

Jonathon spoke again. "I also wanted to tell you the insurance is mostly taken care of. You should have the check to get a new car next week." The 'Vette's engine had been completely destroyed.

They talked for a few more minutes before Jonathon left.

A month later Julian was mostly healed. His ribs were still sore, and he tired more easily than usual, but he was able to do most his usual activities with only minimal pain.

Brooke was drinking her morning coffee when the phone rang. "Hello."

"Brooke. You need to come. Peyton's the hospital She started losing a lot of blood. They're worried they won't be able to save them both," Haley said, her voice strained with emotion. "Luke is a mess. He needs all of us."

"We'll be there as soon as we can."

"What's going on, Mom?" Having seen Brooke's face drain of color Sam was worried.

"Payton and the baby are in trouble. We need to go."

"You start packing what we need. I'll get the flight arranged," Julian said as he pulled out his cell phone. "She's going to be okay, Brooke. So is the baby."

"It's almost a month early!"

"I know. But they'll be okay," he soothed.

"Let's go pack, Mom," Sam suggested.

That night they hurried into Tree Hill hospital. The nurse directed them to the right room, and they saw Haley and Jamie in the hall.

"Aunt Brooke!" Jamie called, and ran towards her.

Brooke bent down and hugged him as Sam moved forward and hugged Haley. Then Sam gave Jamie a hug as Brooke and Haley hugged. Nathan came out of the room and greeted Julian.

"How is she? How's the baby?"

"The baby is okay. Peyton lost a lot of blood. They've given her a bunch of transfusions, but we don't know yet," Nathan answered.

The three went in together.

"Brooke?" Lucas said, looking up from Peyton's unconscious body.

"Yeah, Luke. We're here," she said, moving to stand near him. They shared a long hug and then pulled apart.

"Hey, Sam. Julian."

"Lucas," Julian greeted.

Brooke brushed a stray piece of hair off Peyton's forehead. "Hey, P Sawyer. It's time for you to wake up. Julian already did this to me once. You don't get to do it to me again. And your daughter needs you. So does Luke. You were so excited for this baby. You've got to wake up and see her."

A few minutes later the nurse entered with a hospital baby carriage. Lucas carefully picked up his daughter and held her close.

Brooke flashed on an image of Julian holding their baby. She loved Sam as if she were her own, but suddenly she also wanted to give Julian a child and Sam a brother or sister.

"Can I hold her?" Brooke asked.

"Of course," Lucas said, carefully handing the baby to Brooke.

Julian's breathe caught in this throat. He imagined Brooke was holding his child. Their child. He imagined Sam was smiling down at her little brother or sister.

The baby began to cry and Brooke tried to quiet her. Lucas was about to take his daughter when a sound from the bed caught his attention. They all looked to see that Peyton had moved, and was beginning to wake up. Brooke continued to rock the baby as Lucas focused on Peyton. Sam opened the door to let in Haley, Nathan and Jamie.

"Peyton?" Lucas called softly.

"Luke?" She asked in a groggy voice.

"I'm here. So is everyone. How do you feel?"

"Tired. The baby?"

"She'd right here," Brooke said, moving to hold the baby so Peyton could see her.

Tears filled Peyton's eyes as she saw her daughter. She began to raise her hands to take her, but was too weak, and her hands feel back to the bed. "Our baby, Luke," she said softly, her eyes lit with joy and love.

The nurse returned and everyone but Luke was told to leave. Brooke gave the baby back to Brooke before leaving.

Once the nurse was done Lucas lay the baby gently on Peyton's chest. The little girl cooed and nestled closer to her mother. Peyton moved her hand to rest on her daughter's back.

Out in the hall Sam spoke up. "That was amazing. As soon as she heard her daughter she woke up."

Brooke and Haley exchanged a look. Being mother's themselves, neither was a surprised that the sound of her daughter's distress was what had gotten through to Peyton and woken her up.

"So how are you feeling?" Nathan asked Julian. Remembering his own painful recovery from a car accident years before he could sympathize with Julian.

"It's better, but still hurts when I try to do almost anything but sit still. But at least I can get up and move around more."

Nathan nodded. "At least you're okay."

"Yeah."

Jamie was enjoying having his Aunt Brooke back and she sat on a chair listening to him prattle on, telling her what had been happening in Tree Hill.

A short time later they were all allowed back in the room.

"What are you going to name her?" Janie asked.

"Sawyer Brooke Scott," Lucas answered.

Brooke blinked away the tears the formed in her eyes.


End file.
